You own a residential construction company, specializing in custom-home builds within your market. Johnny and his family are ready to start the journey towards building their dream home and are on the hunt for a contractor with extensive experience in doing just that. Johnny starts his search process in the same way that the majority of today’s consumers do: he jumped on his phone and Googled “custom home builders near me.” In seconds, Johnny gains access to the websites of hundreds of home builders and is ready to dive into the massive financial investment that is building his dream home. He just needs someone to spend the money with! With a simple presence online, the first ten home builders in Johnny’s market have opened up the opportunity for another, eager client. The problem? Your company doesn’t have a website and, in this event, an opportunity to partner with eager and ready-to-spend Johnny. Opportunity: missed.

Yikes, right?

There is no doubt in the value of online presence, particularly that of your company website. Your consumers expect to find you in a search in order to learn more about your business and how well it fits their need. The best part? Your website is a marketing tool, delivering a message that you control, that operates 24/7 on behalf of your company. (That’s right, you can kick those feet up on the desk and find comfort in knowing that your company is finding consumers where they are: online.)

There are endless benefits in developing an effective company website. The problem for many businesses develops at the point that the new, shiny website is left to rust on the sideline. Like any effort in business, adaptation and monitoring is required! In order to remain an effective tool, your website needs to be consistently monitored and updated to ensure that your company is accurately being represented online. As always, lucky you; we’ve broken down our top five ways to ensure that your website continues to deliver on its initial promises.

FIRST, Make Those Updates

A static website will produce static results!  Just like 1000 printed brochures in a box, your website left in its original format will sit in a box and never see the light of day.  Website updates entail front-end and back-end edits to keep the site relevant with rich content and purposeful functionality.  We are experienced and knowledgeable regarding websites as a marketing tool and are ready to provide a well-rounded approach to your brand core and equity, with monthly or quarterly update recommendations.  Sometimes this is just making certain that the on-page content including text and imagery is up-to-date and providing easy access to all the information that visitors are seeking. In addition, the site programming may need regular plug-in or PHP (a type of programming and scripting language) updates to keep it functioning properly on all browsers and in all formats. Like an old pair of parachute pants, nothing screams “Pick me!” about an outdated, dysfunctional website.

SECOND, Up Your SEO Game

Obviously, the goal of your website is to bring traffic and attention to your business, serving as that constant marketing effort and outlet to reach your consumers. Aside from the intrinsic value found in paid search efforts, there are ways to boost the visibility of your site organically. (Not to worry, organic efforts in marketing don’t entail boosted prices and empty promises. In fact, organic marketing occurs without constant funding, really allowing you to move one step closer to kicking back and watching customers flow in.)

If consumers use search engines to find your company, or to fill a need, SEO is a valuable tool for you. (News flash, that’s all consumers. We’re looking at you!) SEO or Search Engine Optimization can boost your visibility, your traffic, your credibility with consumers, and your chance for a higher return on investment. Organic search presents a 49% ROI if implemented and maintained properly. SEO is an easy implementation and a no-brainer for your business.

In other words, it’s time to optimize your site for SEO and to get in touch with us about doing just that, click here. It’s just that easy!

THIRD, Responsiveness is Key

Johnny is not waiting until he has access to his desktop to search, we can assure you of that! As of April 2021, 56% of all web traffic originated from a mobile device and that increasing statistic presents the need for your website to maintain a high level of mobile responsiveness. Consumers are no longer willing to pinch and scroll in order to navigate company websites and the more difficult it is to use, the less likely your website visitors are to continue forward in the buying journey with your company. One pinch too many and onto the competitor they go!

Optimizing your website for mobile devices is crucial in order to create a positive consumer experience and it’s a service we provide to many of our clients. Let’s get the conversation started on making sure that Johnny has a positive, mobile experience on your company website!

FOURTH, Your Web Design Needs to Capitalize on Communicating to Your Ideal Consumer

Website design, unfortunately, is many times done by a programmer who is not seeing the site as a marketing tool, but rather as a stream of coding that collectively creates the content on your site. It matters how the content is presented to the client in both how it is worded, where it is positioned on the page, and how it appears visually. For example, if the ‘Contact Us’ page is hidden in a hyperlink and not visible to the user, your company can’t expect to see many leads generated. There is value in the psychographic element used to design builds. (Psychographic meaning that we, as marketers, just assume that your ideal consumer is out of their mind. Yup, we’re kidding.) Psychographic knowledge of an audience means understanding their preferences and their behaviors.  When a site is designed with custom elements to meet the needs of the end-user it includes certain color schemes, heavier image-based build or possibly heavier illustrations and movement of video files, whichever best targets the audience.  It may mean more attention is spent on the call to action using hotlinks or floaters, form fills or other secured customer portals.  It’s a little about you, the company, and a lot about the consumer.  Websites are highly reflective of the quality of service and/or product you offer and can be easily compared to your competitors, so it is imperative that your website speaks loudly to who you are.

FIFTH, Offer Engaging Content

It’s all about the customer experience and your website is no exception. Today’s consumers want content and your website, operating most effectively, needs to provide visitors with a variety of outlets to interact with your brand. Whether it’s through blog posts, an opt-in for newsletters, an ‘About Us’ page, or a link to your social media, there are many ways to continually engage your website’s visitors and move them further through the funnel. Not to mention, engaging content contributes to your brand personality, which you can learn the value of here.
Engaging content can be delivered through high-quality imagery, simple functionality implementations, and third-party integrations that allow visitors to explore all of the facets that embody your company’s being. We’re no stranger to optimizing websites for the best possible consumer experience. Shoot us an email about keeping your website visitors engaged to boost the number of leads in your sales funnel!

The bottom line? Your website isn’t a business card and can’t be fastened to the corner of your desk and used accordingly; there is a need for consistent updating, monitoring, and evaluation in order to best assure the effectiveness of the invaluable tool. Need some help implementing the above points to keep your website effective? We’re geared up and ready to get your website on the continued path to success. Contact us today!